Improvement in mode of starting street-cars



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFicE.

JOHN SMITH BRIGGS, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN MODEIOF STARTING STREET-CARS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,477, dated February 25, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN SMITH Barcos, of South Bend, county of St. Joseph, State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Mode of Starting Street-Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consistsin providing. street-cars with friction drums and arms, in combination with spiral springs,t`orV the purpose of acquiring power in stopping the car to start it again by said arms being pushed upon the car-track by the recoil of the springs.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my street-car in any of theknown forms and apply thereto friction-drums d d, which encircle the axle and revolve with the wheels when forced against them by means of levers a a, as shown in the accompanying drawings.

I construct a spiral spring, which rests on a rod which is fastened to the underv side of the car-frame and lying parallel with the car. I place cross-levers t t, which slide upon the rod which supports the spirall spring and extends to the width of the track. To each end of the cross-levers t t the arms e e are fastened by hinges, which allow saidV arms to fall upon the track when the spiral spring is being contracted. Ropes are fastened to each end of cross-levers t t and to friction-drums d d.

The drums which surround the forward axle are forced against the wheels ot' the car while in motion by the levers ct a, which are operated by the hand-wheel on the front end of the car, causing friction-drums d d to revolve with the wheels, thereby winding up ropes c c, by which the cross-leverst t are drawn forward, which contracts the spiral spring S, thereby creating friction sufficient to stop the car in due time.

By operating the hand-wheel the drums d cl are released from the wheels, leaving the spiral spring free to act upon the cross-levers t t, to which the arms e c are attached, forcing them firmly upon the track, thereby compelling the car to start from the recoil of the spiral spring.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The application to street-cars of frictiondrums and arms, in combination with spiral springs, for the purpose of acquiring andretaining power in stopping the carto start the same again, in the manner herein described.

J. SMITH BRIGGS.

Witnesses:

E. S. REYNOLDS,

DWIGHT DEMING. 

